Have you ever wondered why kids sometimes have trouble answering questions about what they read?
Sometimes, it comes down to the question itself--and knowing the difference between literal and inferential questions.

At Imagine Learning, we're quite familiar with the variety of opinions surrounding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).
Although our own programs are aligned with multiple state standards (and not just the CCSS), we know what most educators are thinking on the subject. Here, we share a few of our findings.
What the Data Say
In August of 2015 a nationwide PDK/Gallup poll revealed that a majority of respondents oppose the teaching of Common Core. Interestingly, black and Hispanic respondents showed a lower level of opposition, at just 35 and 50 percent respectively.
In an earlier (2013) poll by PDK/Gallup, 72 percent of those polled indicated that they trust public school educators. But the same respondents also assume most educators oppose the CCSS, a view not aligned with the data.
In reality, 75 percent of educators support CCSS standards.

Sleep like a rock
Light as a feather
Cream of the crop
As big as a bus
The above phrases are examples of figurative language, all of which are commonly used in day-to-day English.
Any student--especially any English language learner--can struggle with such figurative speech, particularly when the implied meaning (i.e., idiom) does not translate to the student's first language.
The concept of figurative language is also difficult for struggling readers to understand, but all students need to be able to identify and use it in reading and conversation.

A guest post by Linda Hardman
President of Linda A. Hardman Consulting, Inc., teacher, and developer of multiple award-winning K12 math products
Imagine Learning now publishes monthly guest posts in order to stimulate conversations about K12 education across the country. Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual author and may not necessarily reflect the official opinion of Imagine Learning.
According to the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), the percentage of English language learners (ELL) in US public schools grew in the 2012–2013 school year by 9.2 percent (i.e., 4.4 million students) compared to the prior school year.
Additionally, a new Pew Research Center study reported that a near-record 13.9 percent of the US population today is foreign born, with 45 million immigrants residing here.
A diverse group of young students
Because of these trends, students are significantly challenged to master academic language across the US.
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for mathematics are also placing high demands in mathematics regarding abstract and quantitative reasoning, constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others, and looking for/expressing regularity in repeated reasoning.
Students and educators are even more challenged with the acquisition of academic language as a tool for mastering conceptual and procedural understanding of mathematical standards and practices.
As a result of the increasing amount of ELL students and the challenges presented by the CCSS for mathematics, it is important for students to acquire both academic language skills and mathematical fluency.
Moreover, the same essential reading components and first-language supports provided in reading classes also belong in the mathematics classroom.